Transportation Commission Office – PO Box 47308 – Olympia, WA 98504-7308
(360) 705-7070
Date: March 13, 2019
Contact: Reema Griffith, Transportation Commission Executive Director, 360-705-7070
OLYMPIA –Population growth, technology and the future of transportation are topics scheduled for discussion at the Washington State Transportation Commission meeting next week in Olympia. How to address the capacity limitations at Sea-Tac International Airport, potential options to improve Interstate 5 mobility, and cutting edge research at the University of Washington on crash reduction, traffic flow and traffic operations will be spotlighted.
The meeting starts at 9 a.m. both Tuesday, March 19, and Wednesday, March 20, at the Transportation Building, 310 Maple Park Ave. SE, on the Capitol Campus in Olympia. This meeting is open to the public and persons wishing to speak to the commission may do so during public comment periods each day (see agenda for detail).
Tuesday’s meeting begins with a briefing from the Port of Seattle on its expansion plans for Sea-Tac International Airport, one of the fastest-growing major airports in the nation. Designed to accommodate 56 million passengers and meet the forecasted passenger demand to 2027, plans include a new terminal with 19 gates, and an automated people mover with three stations to connect the rental car facility, new terminal, and main terminal.
Greenroads and The Nature Conservancy, two nonprofit groups applying sustainable design and engineering to reduce impacts from transportation, will give a presentation featuring their work in our state and elsewhere. Examples include stormwater capture and treatment, noise reduction and landscape management.
On Tuesday afternoon, the commission will learn about the I-5 System Partnership, a body working to identify potential options to improve I-5 mobility. The I-5 System Partnership is made up of representatives from transportation agencies, the business community, and jurisdictions throughout the 107-mile study area between Tumwater and Marysville. The Governor’s proposed budget includes $2.5 million to develop a long-range master plan that will consider, among other things, a comprehensive look at the future of I-5 and the regional HOV lane system.
At the same time that population growth poses challenges for highway mobility, technology is making cars safer and changing how cities design their infrastructure. Professor Yinhai Wang, director of the University of Washington’s Smart Transportation Applications and Research Lab (STAR Lab), will give a presentation focused on automation and intelligent transportation systems. STAR Lab leverages transportation data to understand underlying travel and traffic patterns and behavior in surface transportation. Its work is intended to reduce crashes and improve traffic flow. As an example, one of STARLab’s studies has developed a framework to automatically detect vehicle-pedestrian near misses.
On Wednesday the commission will hear an update on the Road Usage Charge (RUC) pilot project. The live pilot test of road usage charging closed in January, and now work will turn to reviewing pilot data, participant survey analysis, focus group input, and developing policy recommendations, which will be released later this year. The commission will review draft RUC policy options, and early results of the final survey of RUC pilot participants.
Even with the planned Sea-Tac Airport expansion, air travel demand has spurred the Puget Sound Regional Council Regional to begin a two-year “Regional Aviation Baseline Study” of current and future aviation needs and capacities. PSRC Executive Director Josh Brown will describe how the study will identify the roles of every airport and the aviation activities within the region to set the stage for future planning.
For more information about the commission and a complete meeting agenda, visit: www.wstc.wa.gov
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information
Accommodation requests for people with disabilities can be made by contacting the WSDOT Diversity/ADA Affairs team at wsdotada@wsdot.wa.gov or by calling toll-free, 855-362-4ADA (4232). Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may make a request by calling the Washington State Relay at 711.
Title VI Statement to Public
It is WSDOT’s policy to assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin or sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its federally funded programs and activities. Any person who believes his/her Title VI protection has been violated, may file a complaint with WSDOT’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). For additional information regarding Title VI complaint procedures and/or information regarding our non-discrimination obligations, please contact OEO’s Title VI Coordinator 360-705-7090.